The film stars Suriya in the main dual lead role as father and son alongside Simran, Sameera Reddy (in her Tamil debut) and Ramya.

The film features music composed by Harris Jayaraj, making Vaaranam Aayiram his last project with Menon before the formal break-up of their partnership, until they worked together again in Yennai Arindhaal (2015).

The film illustrates Suriya, an Indian Army Major who learns about his father Krishnan's death when he is on a rescue mission.

The film was theatrically released on 14 November 2008, after multiple postponements, and opened to critical acclaim, with praise for Suriya's dual role performance and Harris Jayaraj's soundtrack.

His son Suriya, a Major in the Indian Army, is on the way to Kashmir on a rescue mission to save a journalist kidnapped by terrorists.

Years later, after Suriya completes his exams in Tiruchirappalli, he meets the beautiful Meghna on a train back home and falls head over heels for her, but she does not believe in love at first sight.

Once he starts withdrawing, Malini encourages Suriya to go on a rejuvenating trip, but on the condition that he returns home as a new man.

Months later, Suriya realizes that the only way to forget his painful relapse of Meghna's memories is to train his body and prepare for bigger things.

However, after a photo shoot, the film was delayed and then subsequently called off,[4] with Menon later going on to direct the Kamal Haasan-starrer Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu and Sarathkumar's Pachaikili Muthucharam.

[6] In a turn of events, Menon dropped the idea of producing the film due to budget escalations, and this prompted Ravichandran to acquire the production rights.

[7] According to Menon, he received the news of his father's death while he was in the United States in 2007, and recounted their shared experiences while returning via flight; this incident inspired him to direct the film which begins in a similar manner.

Menon too admitted the film will draw inspirations from Forrest Gump but would be fixed to suit the Indian audience.

[17] Soon after, Andrea Jeremiah was confirmed as the heroine after working with the director in Pachaikili Muthucharam, but was dropped from the film for unknown reasons.

[18] Asin, who earlier been a part of Menon's shelved film Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam, expressed her desire to be a part of the project, but Suriya refused her offer citing that she had walked out of his previous film, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal and refused to act opposite him.

[24] Menon's norm technicians: cinematographer R. Rathnavelu, editor Anthony Gonsalvez, art director Rajeevan and music composer Harris Jayaraj, were part of this film.

[26][27] Sameera Reddy, who announced as the leading lady, joined the schedule in the United States, where major sequences of the film were shot.

Two of the production managers were assigned the task of bringing the reels to the producer's office; however, the pair decided to stay in Singapore for a couple of days before returning to Chennai.

Following their arrival in Chennai, it was discovered that the reels went missing in the hotel they stayed at in Singapore, but a search by the police proved unsuccessful.

[31] The team further shot sequences in Kashmir and Delhi, and continued intermittently so that Suriya could work on his commitments for Ayan.

[38] Varanam Aayiram was initially scheduled for late 2007 release, but was delayed multiple times due to production troubles.

[22] But the producer felt that the business of both the films will be affected due to the inaugural Indian Premier League season happening underway, thus resulting in holding both the releases till 1 June, the date when the tournament ends.

[40] The makers preferred for a release on 15 August (Independence Day) and 3 September (Vinayagar Chathurthi), to cash in the holiday season, which did not happen.

[40] During October 2008, the members of Hindu Makkal Katchi demanded a ban on the film citing that its lead actress Divya Spandana's comments during the Hogenakkal Falls water dispute, as she attended the similar protest in Karnataka and condemned Tamils in the same issue.

The re-release proved to be highly successful as the film grossed around ₹3 crore in its opening weekend from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

[55] Suriya's six-pack look and his workout montage scene in the film became iconic among the Tamil and South Indian youth at the time, with many even today citing them as their inspiration to take up fitness and an active lifestyle seriously.

In Master (2021), the character JD (Vijay) references dialogues from Vaaranam Aayiram as he tries to fool someone into believing that he once travelled to America to express his love for a girl.